1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to remotely controlled toy vehicles and more particularly to such a vehicle intended to be operated on an endless continuous track having means for not only holding the vehicle to the track but which limits rotational deployment of the vehicle at curves or turns so that opponents may enjoy continuous play or racing.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to place two or more vehicles in separate tracks on a game board wherein the vehicles are electrically motivated to travel at high speeds along the tracks in competition with one another. Generally, the tracks are endless and are arranged in a curvilinear manner so that the vehicles may be in competition over a simple oval track or a more torturous track such as a FIG. 8 or other geometrical convolutions In any event, centrifugal forces are generated at the curves which generally cause the toy vehicle to spin-out or, in most events, to actually leave the track and fly off of the game board. Such undesirable action is attributed to the fact that the toy vehicles are not secured or fixed to the track over which they travel since the only contact the car has with the track is through a downwardly depending guide rod that merely travels through the slot as the car is powered over the track
To counteract the undesired leaving of the toy car from the track at curves, magnets have been placed at the rear of the car having an attractive force or relationship with the power conductors commonly disposed along either a side of the slot on the track. Although such magnetic of either permanent or electromagnetic type is useful in controlling fly-off of the car from the track, the centrifugal force sometimes even exceeds the magnetic attraction and the car or vehicle still leaves the track.
In other instances, the downwardly depending guide rod from the vehicle which travels through the slot sometimes permits excessive rotation or spin of the vehicle at the curves so that the rear of the vehicle outwardly extends beyond the limits of the track so that the wheels are not engageable in driving relationship with the track. In such instances, the game is stopped and the vehicles must be reset onto the track. In order to eliminate this problem, some tracks include extra sections on the playing board which constitute extensions adapted to permit the rear driving wheels of U-turn vehicles sufficient traction for regaining advancement.
The effects of the above problems reside in discontinuance of a game which necessitates restarting and replaying. However, the same problems exist and the toy vehicle may either spin-out or leave the track causing an additional restart and delay in the over-all play of the game. This outcome is disadvantageous since it results in eventual disinterest in the competitors to continue playing the game.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a means for capturing or retaining the movable toy vehicle on the track and which takes into account centrifugal forces at curves so that the vehicle will not only retain on the track but will be in a position to regain speed after momentarily stopping. Also, it is desirable to provide stop or limit means so that spin-out of the vehicle can be avoided.